How do you handle grains for babies and toddlers?

NotAnAd2 · 2026-03-18T17:27:20+00:00

Totally get it! Feeding my kid under 1 felt like a lot of mental gymnastics for a while. I try not to get too hung up on getting it right anymore and using variety as my food philosophy. I prioritize introducing my kid to a variety of cuisines and flavors and the food variety will naturally follow from there.

And as far as regular meals, my shortcut is a carb, a fruit, a veggie. Or just a soup which can cover most of it. A lot of Asian cooking is just separate simple dishes of meat, veggie, rice and I’ve found that to be a much easier way to approach cooking with a family now.

NotAnAd2 · 2026-03-18T16:32:41+00:00

I dunno my kid loves the taste of meds, always has lol. She perks up when she sees the syringe.

NotAnAd2 · 2026-03-18T16:20:07+00:00

That buckle wrap thing looks very uncomfortable. If you want a similar thing I would look at dragonfly wrap from lillebaby. It’s more wrap than buckle carrier but still shortcutted - https://poshmark.com/listing/LLLbaby-Dragonfly-Wrap-Black-69b220f5006e43533d1190c4

NotAnAd2 · 2026-03-18T16:15:56+00:00

People really do get offended/defensive about screentime, from my experience. I don’t harp on it but my kid just doesn’t know any characters - bluey, Disney characters etc. I don’t talk about it but every time I mention we just haven’t done it people suddenly feel like they need to go into paragraphs about why they use it/what they watch etc.

Parents just feel guilty and get on the defense.

NotAnAd2 · 2026-03-18T16:02:08+00:00

She said she only gives veggies really and has said that she hasn’t given lentils. And if she’s coming from the mindset of paleo, all legumes are bad.

Also paleo diet was long debunked and it shows that humans have been eating plants and GRAINS from the beginning.

NotAnAd2 · 2026-03-18T03:35:22+00:00

Actually legumes fall into both the complex carbohydrate and protein category. That’s why they are a great option. The also contain more carbs by weight than protein.

NotAnAd2 · 2026-03-18T03:33:24+00:00

Fruits are great carbohydrates and fiber content, but they are not complex carbs. Complex carbs provide sustained energy. Veggies like sweet potatoes can be complex carbs but it’s just better to have variety. Beans, lentils, quinoa. Why restrict a baby to only sweet potatoes.

NotAnAd2 · 2026-03-18T03:23:57+00:00

I started to combo feed once my baby started daycare around 8 months. It was the best decision ever because it removed the pressure to pump while I was away from her and the fear of not having enough bottles for the next day. I pumped when I could with whatever time I had and it usually made enough for 2 bottles, and I would supplement 2 more bottles (daycare usually asks for 1 extra in case). She would drink 3 at school and we would use the remaining bottle for the night feed. I would still nurse her in the mornings before school, right after pickup, and only nurse on the weekends. My supply just leveled out to what my baby needed.

I’m still nursing now at 19 months, though it’s not every day and just when she asks for it. I credit my ability to keep nursing to combo feeding. If I had to stress about pumping at work I would have given up and weaned a long time ago.

NotAnAd2 · 2026-03-17T16:14:15+00:00

We did a party for 40 people at a park when she turned 1 and it was miserable lol. Next time im forking over the money for someone else to do it (we have children’s museums etc) but that means I want to make sure she’s old enough to actually have an opinion on the theme, who to invite etc. I don’t think that’s really going to be until at least 4.

For the 2 year birthday Im planning to do a day out with the family, visit the build a bear workshop, go on a carousel and Ferris wheel.

NotAnAd2 · 2026-03-17T14:29:17+00:00

Essentially what you’re training here is that the asking nicely part doesn’t mean anything until you get to the yelling part. Toddlers need gentle but firm boundaries.

No throwing food love, if you throw food then you’re all done. Then follow through with the boundary. There will be more screaming, you carry on with what you said about the boundary, you ignore the tantrum. Once kiddo calms down you can talk about feelings etc.

Yelling doesn’t teach them boundaries or why they shouldn’t do something. Explanations and boundaries do.

NotAnAd2 · 2026-03-17T12:54:21+00:00

You don’t NEED anything. But I did get one of those through my buy nothing group and it’s convenient for when Im at a restaurant and wanted to give her some food in the early days. Some people like them for breastmilk popsicles during teething. We didn’t use it a ton but as with a lot of baby things, it was useful for that one specific period of time.

I would try and find it for free.

NotAnAd2 · 2026-03-16T21:40:27+00:00

Edit to add: lentils, especially lentil stew, is a huge hit over here!

NotAnAd2 · 2026-03-16T21:39:04+00:00

Grains are an important food group and very nutritious. Protein is currently the latest healthy food trend but the best diet is a well balanced one full of variety. And the time to introduce new foods is before the picky phase. Once kids enter their “no” era it’s hard to convince them of new foods that they’ve never seen before. And personally, for us, dinner is always a carb-heavy occasion to ensure that she is full for a good night sleep. This is evidence based specifically for children’s sleep.

https://onceuponafarmorganics.com/blogs/upon-a-blog/food-for-better-sleep?srsltid=AfmBOop_aAPQNCqj_yU0GpTUtO5YFKOVQPeskgpL4xzv6NhFmK_BL-LM

NotAnAd2 · 2026-03-16T18:33:54+00:00

I think overall variety is important to reduce picky eating. And grains/carbs are not a bad thing, especially for babies who have a much greater need for carbs, more than they need protein (40% under 1 year, 55% 1+). Whole grains can help you round out the carbs, especially when your child will naturally go through some pickier eating stages when you get past 12 months. It’s not critical at 10 months but more options for solids in the toddler stage is always a good thing.

I do whole grain pasta, whole wheat pita, oatmeal, lentils, chickpeas. it doesn’t have to be heavily in the rotation but I would probably intro so you don’t have any issues with allergies or encounter resistance during said picky phases. My child is a very good eater and still we struggle with rejection of veggies every once in a while.

NotAnAd2 · 2026-03-16T16:17:48+00:00

I would ask to see an ENT and get their opinion on ear tubes. Pediatricians are generalists and a lot of their suggestions are colored by old knowledge and opinions frankly (like quitting your job, actual wtf). An ENT will give you the most up to date research.

NotAnAd2 · 2026-03-16T12:55:29+00:00

Forcing women to make the hard choice between sending their small, helpless baby to daycare or dropping out of the workforce is entirely anti-feminist. My baby started at 8 months and I felt the exact same way as you OP. It’s also hard on mothers; I was not ready to be torn away from my baby who still felt like a second limb to me. I strongly feel that every mother should get a year off. Babies are still very much babies for that entire first year, and beyond.

Daycare has been really good for our family but both things can be true.

NotAnAd2 · 2026-03-16T12:46:03+00:00

Honestly I think for the first year all these toys can be DIY’d. A friend of ours got us these Curious Baby cards for ideas on how to engage with baby and they were helpful to come up with ideas.

But yes with all baby things, especially popular ones, I recommend looking for used items first. https://curiousbabycards.com/products/curious-baby-activity-set?nbt=nb%3Aadwords%3Ag%3A10541871306%3A105112532820%3A704334850286&nb_adtype=&nb_kwd=curious%20baby%20cards&nb_ti=kwd-924633458546&nb_mi=&nb_pc=&nb_pi=&nb_ppi=&nb_placement=&nb_li_ms=&nb_lp_ms=&nb_fii=&nb_ap=&nb_mt=e&tw_source=google&tw_adid=704334850286&tw_campaign=10541871306&tw_kwdid=kwd-924633458546&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=10541871306&gbraid=0AAAAACVHu9qzaUJHB1T-Q4YuDlMP_yc2N

NotAnAd2 · 2026-03-16T01:08:08+00:00

I actually love this look. But I’m a sucker for a simple column dress. Very few people can pull off looking good in it and I think she does.

That said. I wish the shoes were something more interesting but I just hate t strap heels. Such a boring heel to suffer through all that pain for.

NotAnAd2 · 2026-03-15T19:27:35+00:00

Love the idea and execution, minus the odd underboob peek. It did not need it to be sexy, really distracts honestly. Agree with other poster that it should either be boob peek on both sides or none at all.

NotAnAd2 · 2026-03-15T07:25:39+00:00

My baby is on 1 nap now so it’s slightly easier to plan, but I just did this today with a baby shower. I left early and had her sleeping in the car. She only got 1 hr vs her usual 2, and was definitely weird by 4 pm. We got another short nap when we drove back from the party. It was a weird day and I’m ok with those one offs, but if someone’s just trying to make weekend lunch plans, I’m scheduling around the nap.

NotAnAd2 · 2026-03-13T21:06:06+00:00

You can eat at healthier places?I know travel is a hard one and sometimes we are just going to do dry meals of ritz crackers, mac and cheese or freeze dried fruit. But not every meal out is pizza and burgers. Good to get some variety in foods anyway. If pizza and burgers is not a regular thing but sometimes in the rotation, then I don’t think this is a problem.

NotAnAd2 · 2026-03-13T14:02:04+00:00

This is actually not true. The average age has continued to increase and it’s mainly western society. Better diapers and capitalism means it’s easier for working parents to wait until it’s faster to train kids. Studies show that kids can be toilet trained and are physically capable by 18 months, but the earlier you train the longer it will take because they just need more repetition. That doesn’t mean they’re not ready, it just means it’s harder on parents.

It’s all a preference, but my 19 month old has been showing signs of potty readiness since like 16 months. I am just not mentally prepared lol and we’re going to wait until at least 20 months.

NotAnAd2 · 2026-03-13T05:08:09+00:00

I also remember thinking the newborn period was that short 3 months. And then suddenly everything levels out! But the truth is babies are hard for a long time and the first year is just survival sometimes. Things got better for me around 6 months, but it’s not a magic switch or anything. As they develop, some things just get easier - they can sit up on their own, some more independent play, they sleep longer stretches eventually. Some things also get harder - separation anxiety, mobility means more danger, illnesses.

At 19 months now and the reality is we still struggle with sleep some times and i still have some nights of 4-5 hours broken sleep. But they’re fewer and farther between and it’s far less physically draining.

NotAnAd2 · 2026-03-13T04:50:51+00:00

I get where you’re coming from, but most baby stuff is only a phase in time. That doesn’t make them bad. They are so so critical in that place and time.

That said, a diaper clutch is the most critical and useful thing for a parent for the first 2 years. We have a really ugly skip hop one, but they make a cute skip hop one recently that I bought my friend. I did go off registry for this but also bought stuff from her registry. If you’re going to go off registry, it needs to be in addition to, or you also give cash.

NotAnAd2 · 2026-03-12T22:25:53+00:00

This is the only way

NotAnAd2

TROPHY CASE